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MY VIEW: My weight loss journey: A path of determination and transformation
By Warren Dews Jr.
Capital Region Independent Media
Editor’s Note: We are pleased to bring our readers the second installment in an ongoing series about the weight loss journey of Warren Dews Jr. He is writing this series, presented in several installments, with the hope that it may help others who are also facing challenges.
Embarking on a weight loss journey is never easy, but it is a decision that can have a profound impact on one’s life. This is my story, a story of resilience, support, and the pursuit of a healthier and happier self. As I promised, I will keep you informed about my weight loss journey, and it is with great joy that I share with you the progress I have made thus far.
Seven months ago, I made the decision to embark on this journey for the third time. This time, however, things felt different. I met with a team of dedicated professionals who would guide me through the process of gastric bypass surgery. Among them were a dietitian, a psychologist, and a young woman who taught a class on the procedure and life after surgery, and many more people as part of the overall team. Each person played a vital role in preparing me mentally and physically for the transformation ahead.
One of the key aspects of my journey was realizing and addressing my relationship with food. For six months, I worked closely with a dietitian who helped me gain a better understanding of the foods I should and shouldn’t eat. This process was essential in ensuring long-term success and a sustainable lifestyle change. It also reminded me that I should listen to my wife more, because most of the things I was told she has been telling me for over 20 years.
Recognizing the psychological impact of such a life-changing experience, I also met with a psychologist. This step was crucial in ensuring that I was mentally prepared and stable to undergo the surgery. The psychologist’s guidance and support helped me navigate the emotional challenges that often accompany weight loss journeys.
During one of the classes, I had the opportunity to ask the young woman teaching the class about her motivation for doing this job. As she began to explain, her voice filled with emotion, and tears welled up in her eyes. Witnessing her passion and dedication reaffirmed that I was in the right place, surrounded by the right people. The compassion and care demonstrated by everyone involved in my journey have been truly awe inspiring.
Another unexpected aspect of my journey has been discovering the number of people in my daily life who have undergone similar surgeries. As I shared my story, I found that others were freely sharing their own experiences and transformations. This community of support has been invaluable, providing encouragement, advice, and a sense of camaraderie. In the coming weeks, I plan to share “Get To Know” videos with some of these incredible individuals, highlighting their journeys and the impact they have made on their own lives.
This is actually my third time considering this process, with the previous attempts derailed by changes in insurance coverage. However, this time, despite another insurance change, I am thrilled to share that my procedure has been approved, and I have received a pre-operation date. The paperwork even states that the surgery must be completed before the end of May. This news fills me with excitement and determination to finally achieve my goals.
My weight loss journey has been a testament to the power of determination, support, and finding the right team of professionals. While this procedure may not be suitable for everyone, my hope is that my story inspires others to make positive changes in their lives, whatever form those changes may take.
Let us all strive to not only improve ourselves but also uplift and support those around us on their own transformative journeys. With the support of my incredible team and the encouragement of my community, I am confident that I will achieve the healthier and happier life I have been working towards.
Warren Dews Jr. is vice president and publisher of Capital Region Independent Media, which publishes The Columbia Paper.
Hinchey sets priorities for this year
By Deborah E. Lans
For Capital Region Independent Media
It’s a new year, and state legislators have set their priorities for the coming months.
State Sen. Michelle Hinchey, D-41, represents all of Greene County in the State Senate.
Hinchey said she is proud to see some of the initiatives she has championed in the past included in Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed budget for this year. These include funding a Mid-Hudson Valley Transit study to address the lack of public transportation in the district, and support for universal free school meals, including breakfast and lunch.
The state has been increasing school meal funding over time to its current 80% coverage, and the senator thinks now is the time to close the remaining gap. Doing so would allow for expanding Farm to School measures as well – programs that support the sale of locally sourced fresh food to schools by reimbursing their costs. In addition to supporting universal free school meals, Hinchey has introduced a proposal that would enshrine a “right to food,” the freedom to pursue activities that support its production, and a right to be free from hunger in the state’s constitution.
On the housing front, Hinchey is sponsoring a bill to codify programs that support the kinds of affordable housing that are most suitable for rural communities, for example developments with between four and 20 units. While such programs exist, they lack permanence, which Hinchey hopes to achieve.
She also introduced a bill that would increase the training requirements for local planning groups (planning boards and zoning boards of appeal) to include one hour of training for environmentally conscious planning every year. The additional training would cover the goals of the state’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, funding opportunities, farmland and natural resource conservation, design and materials techniques, and best practices.
In 2024 the Legislature passed, but the governor vetoed, a bill sponsored by Hinchey that would have required hospitals to disclose the services they do not provide, based on “policy-based exclusions,” including such procedures as reproductive and gender-affirming care, thereby exposing service gaps. Hinchey has reintroduced the bill this year (S-1003A).
The “Legislative Findings” in the bill include stark warnings about the trajectory of health care: “The legislature finds that since 2003 more than 40 community hospitals in New York state have closed.
“The legislature additionally finds that as a result of hospital consolidation, large health care systems now control more than 70 percent of acute hospital beds in the state and that these systems sometimes remove categories of care from local hospitals, leaving patients in regions of the state without access to particular types of care, including some types of emergency care.”
The goal of the bill is to require disclosure of the service gaps to aid patients in obtaining needed services.
The senator continues to work for farmland protection, in recognition of the fact that climate changes will set up the Northeast as the nation’s bread basket. Local weather shifts are less extreme here than in California, Florida and the Midwest. To avoid food crises or dependence on foreign food sources, the finite resource of agricultural land must be protected against extreme development pressures for housing, solar farms and other needs, Hinchey said.
Concerning solar siting, she continues to work with state regulators and developers in an effort to increase incentives to siting not on productive farmland but, instead, on such areas as rooftops, closed landfills or brownfields – locations that developers say are currently not cost efficient.
As an affordability and fairness measure, the senator has also re-introduced a bill that would preclude utilities, except as a matter of one-time necessity, from issuing estimated bills rather than bills based on actual usage. The bill was passed by the state Senate unanimously in late January.